Rainy day can't put a damper on return of Chicago Air & Water Show; "That's the sound of freedom"

CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a pandemic pause, the Chicago Air and Water Show is back. Saturday's action was a little touch and go, thanks to some on and off rain, but diehard fans weathered the storm.

The Air and Water Show has been around for more than 60 years, bringing out thousands of people, and Saturday was no exception. After last year's show was limited to a solo performance by the Blue Angels, onlookers were excited to see more action.

Rain or shine, thousands of people watched the Air and Water Show from the lakefront.

"This year is awesome. It's like, you can totally tell the full show is back again," Laura Picciuca said.

"I just like them, because they're super fast and stuff," Aryav Jingar said.

Many people either stayed dry at Castaways at North Avenue Beach, or dodged raindrops with their umbrella, like Picciuca and Rick Coddington, who met at the air show 21 years ago.

"It's kind of a tradition for us to kind of be together, and enjoy this, and remember the first time we met," Coddington said.

The jets take off from Gary/Chicago International Airport in northwest Indiana, then fly north along the lakefront to North Avenue Beach before returning to Gary.

Rain delays pushed back one of the most anticipated acts, the Blue Angels, from their scheduled time, but the show went on as the skies cleared up.

But not for long. They were only able to do three passes due to the weather.

"It rained on us. I left the umbrella in the car, but hey we had a towel, and we're just going to sit through it no matter what," Rochelle Hicks said.

Eyes, phones, and cameras stayed to the sky Saturday.

Bob Broten was an Air Force fighter pilot in the Vietnam War, flying in Cambodia and stationed in Thailand.

"Getting some shots of the different planes is great, because these new airplanes, especially this one right here, the F-22, can do things that we couldn't dream about back in the day of the war," he said.

James Williams is a former aircraft inspector.

"I worked on all these; the F-16, the F-21, the F-18 and it's just good to see them fly," he said.

"That's the sound of freedom," Broten said as jets roared overhead.

The show continues Sunday at North Avenue Beach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.